The music e-shop Apple is under fire from the European Commission, which will take measures against music shops in Internet that sell music separately by country, such as iTunes of Apple.
Apple has been selling songs for the iPod-users for some years on the Internet, via iTunes. iTunes customers can only buy music in the shop of their own country. That is contrary to European rules. In iTunes, for each country a separate e-shop has been set up with its prices, but not a shop for all countries, that is! According to Apple, that is so because of the rules set by the record companies. But the European Commission considers that it goes against the consumer's freedom of choice in Europe. The commission confirmed last Tuesday that they had sent a letter to the concerned companies, expressing the Commission's objections, according to European rules. The European Commission could apply important fines if the rules are not accepted. A British consumer group had already complained in 2005, concerning the fact that songs in France and Germany were cheaper than in Great Britain, but it is not possible for British consumers to buy in other shops (unless they have a credit card from the country). Apple can block people from buying abroad by checking the credit cards data.
But the iTunes internet-shops are also controversial in Europe because of the copying right imposed on the music files. Songs bought in iTunes can only be played (directly) on iPods and there are rights preventing people from listening to them in other supports. Already in France, lastyear, iTunes was given a deadline to make the technical changes necessary so that the music format sold can be used in other supports (mp3). According to different consumer groups the buyer should be entitled to listen to music wherever he wants, once he has bought it.
But the iTunes internet-shops are also controversial in Europe because of the copying right imposed on the music files. Songs bought in iTunes can only be played (directly) on iPods and there are rights preventing people from listening to them in other supports. Already in France, lastyear, iTunes was given a deadline to make the technical changes necessary so that the music format sold can be used in other supports (mp3). According to different consumer groups the buyer should be entitled to listen to music wherever he wants, once he has bought it.
Things are moving slowly but surely! Already last week, EMI, one of the major record companies, has agreed to drop the rights preventing people from listening to their music in other supports and burn it wherever thay want. And it might be that soon we will have more competition in the internet music buisiness and that iTunes will be forced to have a global e-shop without borders...
In the meantime check my favourite sites for mp3 music download (sometimes more than 99 cents per track though):
Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/
DJdownload: www.djdownload.com
E-music: www.emusic.com
Fnac-music: www.fnacmusic.com
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